II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5281 

To amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the President 

to automatically waive certain critical document fees for individuals and 

households affected by major disasters for which assistance is provided 

under the Individuals and Households Program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 

Mr. HICKENLOOPER (for himself and Mr. LANKFORD) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to 

require the President to automatically waive certain critical document fees for individuals and households affected by major disasters for which assistance is provided 

under the Individuals and Households Program. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Replacing Essential 

5 Passports and Licenses After Certain Emergencies Act’’ 

6 or the ‘‘REPLACE Act’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 5281 IS

1 SEC. 2. CRITICAL DOCUMENT FEE WAIVER. 

2 Section 1238(a) of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act 

3 of 2018 (42 U.S.C. 5174b) is amended— 

4 (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘applies re5 gardless’’ and inserting ‘‘and the requirement of the 

6 President to waive fees under paragraph (4) apply 

7 regardless’’; 

8 (2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para9 graph (8); and 

10 (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol11 lowing: 

12 ‘‘(4) WAIVER.—The President, in consultation 

13 with the Governor of a State, shall provide a fee 

14 waiver described in paragraph (1) to any individual 

15 or household that has been adversely affected by a 

16 major disaster declared under section 401 of the 

17 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

18 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170)— 

19 ‘‘(A) for which the President provides as20 sistance to individuals and households under 

21 section 408 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 5174); and 

22 ‘‘(B) that destroyed a critical document de23 scribed in paragraph (1) of the individual or 

24 household. 

25 ‘‘(5) WAIVER AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary of 

26 State and the Director of the United States CitizenVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:20 Oct 17, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5281.IS S5281

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 5281 IS

1 ship and Immigration Services shall make publicly 

2 available on the website of the Department of State 

3 and the United States Citizenship and Immigration 

4 Services, respectively, a notice of the availability of 

5 fee waivers described in paragraph (4). 

6 ‘‘(6) REPORT FROM USCIS.—Not later than 1 

7 year after the date of enactment of this paragraph, 

8 and every year thereafter, the Director of the United 

9 States Citizenship and Immigration Services shall 

10 submit to Congress a report that includes, for the 

11 period covered by the report— 

12 ‘‘(A) the number of fee waivers granted 

13 under this subsection; and 

14 ‘‘(B) the cost to the United States Citizen15 ship and Immigration Services of granting fee 

16 waivers under this subsection. 

17 ‘‘(7) REPORT FROM DEPARTMENT OF STATE.— 

18 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

19 of this paragraph, and every year thereafter, the 

20 Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report 

21 that includes, for the period covered by the report— 

22 ‘‘(A) the number of fee waivers granted 

23 under this subsection; and 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 5281 IS

1 ‘‘(B) the cost to the Department of State 

2 of granting fee waivers under this subsection.’’. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS